Warring websites offer preview of 2018 Senate race

TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s lone statewide elected Democrat is the ineffective “Back Bench Bill" Nelson. And the state is suffering through “Rick’s Recession” under Gov. Rick Scott’s poor leadership.

Welcome to the website wars of Florida’s 2018 U.S. Senate race.

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The latest salvo is being fired off Friday by Republicans who established "Back Bench Bill,"a website that draws heavily on a post-Thanksgiving rant from Democratic donor John Morgan, who told POLITICO that Nelson should run for governor and not for reelection because “in the Senate he accomplishes nothing. As governor, he could have a legacy."

“You know back bench Bill is in hot water when his own supporters start to turn on him and his do-nothing record,” reads the GOP website, launched by the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Earlier this week, Florida Democrats launched their own website, "Rick’s Recession," targeting Scott, who is facing term limits and is widely expected to announce a bid against Nelson by spring. The website, established by the liberal For Our Future Action Fund super PAC, hits Scott at a perceived strength of his: job creation.

While Florida overall has gained more than 1 million jobs since Scott took office, many individual counties have lost jobs.

Job creation in rural counties has gotten attention among state legislators in recent weeks. Amy Baker, the Legislature’s top economist, told a Senate committee earlier this week that 36 of the state’s 67 counties had lost jobs since 2007, the beginning of the recession. Scott took office in 2011.

“Rick Scott’s claims that Florida’s economy has 'completely' turned around is deeply out of touch with reality for most Florida families,” reads the website.

The website wars are a preview of what will no doubt be a bruising Senate campaign as most public polling has Scott and Nelson neck-and-neck. A Mason-Dixon poll taken in October had both Florida political heavyweights with 44 percent support.

Though he hasn’t officially announced, Scott is in the midst of a $2 million ad campaign.

Nelson is one of 10 Democrats up for reelection in states carried by President Donald Trump, who narrowly carried Florida last year and who’s backed wholeheartedly by Scott. While Scott’s approval ratings have climbed in recent months in Florida, Trump is less popular.